Deschriver Captures First Jim Thorpe Race Running

Yesterday was a day Tom DeSchriver of Delaware Water Gap had been looking for since he was a freshman at Stroudsburg High School.

The 27-year-old sportswriter for the Pocono Record won the first 10-mile Race Street Race in Jim Thorpe with a winning time of 54:11.5 minutes.

The first female runner was Alyssa Williams, 21, of 111 Lafayette St., Tamaqua, a summer lifeguard at the Tamaqua Community Swimming Pool. She finished 50th overall.

There were 176 runners registered in the race. The ages ranged from 11- year-old Amber Chesonis of Shenandoah, to 62-year-old Roy Cox of Broomall, Delaware County.

DeSchriver, who was born in Freeport, Ill., graduated from Stroudsburg High School, but only competed in track in his freshman and sophomore years. He then entered North Caroline State University, but only competed in track in his freshman year, because of health. About 3 1/2 months ago he decided to go into training, and until yesterday, the best he could do in any race was second place.

"This was a sweet victory. I guess it's because I liked the course so much," DeSchriver said.

The second place winner was Steve Gasper of Hazleton, with a time of 54:24.6 minutes, and third place was won by Dave Horvath of Palmerton, with a time of 54:44.3 minutes.

Second place in the women's category was Kim Sweda of Hazleton, while third place went to Tracy Ashner Newton of Forty Fort, a native of Lehighton.

The first three male and female finishers each received a trophy from Drew Benyo of Jim Thorpe, race director.

The first three place winners in 16 age categories received commemorative certificates and medals and merchandise awards that were donated by members of the Jim Thorpe Commerce Association.

The race had an unusual entry. Budd Coates, 29, of Emmaus entered his pet dog Bikila Coates in the race. He was the 72nd runner to cross the finish line.

Coates said his dog trains with him, and during one of the yearly races, he enters the dog as a contestant rather than himself. He allows the dog to run the race.

He said the dog, a mixture of Siberian Husky and Golden Retriver, did well the first five miles, because they were in about 20th position. Because of the 90 degree temperature, he allowed the dog to take a short swim in the Mauch Chunk Lake, and on two other occasions took the dog into the Mauch Chunk Creek. "I could see the dog was quite warm, so I thought it best to cool him off rather than try to win a trophy," Coates said.

Coates' wife, Ellen, 27, came in 77th overall, and was second in the women's 25-29 category.

The race started on Broadway in front of the Carbon County Courthouse. The course then followed Broadway, uphill to the Bus Road, then to the old Switchback Trail, and a gradual uphill to the breast of the Mauch Chunk Lake. The route then returned with a 4 1/2 -mile downhill course to the finish at the historic Stone Row on Race Street.

The race was sponsored by the Switch-Back Road Runners Club, the Jim Thorpe Commerce Association, and Quality Beverages of Hazleton.